Automatic embroidering machine



April 2, 1929. F. J. GAHLERT ET A AUTOMATIC EMBROIDERING IIACHINE Filed Sept. 22, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 2, 1929. F. J. GAHLERT ET AL AUTOMATIC EMBROIDERING MACHINE Filed Sept. 22, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 April 2, 1929.

F. J. GAHLERT ET AL AUTOMATIC EMBROIDERING MACHINE Filed Sept. 22, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet Jnvenlor:

Patented Apr. 2, 19 29.

UNITED STATES FRANZ JOSEF GAHL'ERT AND MAX BRETSCHNEIDER, OF BARENSTEIN, GERMANY.

AUTOMATIC EMBROIDEHING MACHINE.

Application filed. September 22, 1926, Serial This invention relates to automatic embroidery machinesof the one-needle type operated by means of a jacquard card, in which the movements of pairs of plates actuated by the jacquard card are transmitted to the embroidery frame through the medium of pivoted levers. The objects of the invention are Firstly, to simplify the arrangement of levers which transmit the movements of the plates whilst giving a desired variation of extent of movement;

Secondly, to provide means whereby the pressure on the jacquard card, due to the resistance of the parts of the apparatus on the movement of the jacquard card, to operate same, is relieved;

Thirdly, to provide means for ensuring that the jacquard card roll shall be unwound without any undue pull thereon, which pull tends to widen the holes in the card; and

Fourthly, to provide means whereby the jacquard card may be operated to bring another row of holes therein to working position after the backward oscillation from a previous stroke whilst leaving plenty of time for such movement to the card, thus permitting the use of a jacquard card with rows of holes set closely together without loss of accuracy.

According to the invention the plates re ferred to are of already known type, set in pairs and slidable, each plate of a pair having an angle groove therein one part of which groove is horizontal and the other inclined or declined. The latter part of the groove, that is the part inclined to the horizontal is, in one plate, inclined upwardly and the corresponding part, in the other plate of the pair, is declined, each groove having engaging therewith a bolt on the end of a double lever.

In order to relieve the back pressure of the parts of the apparatus upon the jacquard card, gripping means are provided having pawls which on the advance of a plate or of plates, descend upon engaging means and the grippers having bevelled faces, pull the plate or plates forward, after the movement of the plate or plates has been commenced by the jacquard card, the pressure on the latter being thus relieved.

To relieve the pull upon the acquard card the roll of :urd is positively unwound from the usual roll bobbin so that it forms a loose loop, the used portion of the roll being No. 137,146, and in Germany May 15, 1925.

wound up at the same speed as that at which it has been unwound. The portion of card which at any time is in action for the operatlon of the parts and of the embroidery frame is therefore always a part of a loose portion of the roll. The fact that this portion is always loose enables the use of a card having rows of holes set closely together, and prevents the stretching of the card with consequent widening of the holes.

For the better understanding of the invention, it will now be fully explained With convenient mechanical details, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 shows in elevation an adjusting mechanism comprising two series of levers. d

F g. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1.

3 illustrates the co-operation of two pa rs of plates with the adjusting lever.

Fig. 4 shows diagrammatically the ar rangement of an adjusting mechanism, the series connecting-rods of which act directly, by special adjusting levers, upon the elements which drive the frame.

Fig. 5 is a similar view as Fig. 4 showing a modification of the arrangement.

Figs. 6 and 7 show the needle plates with pattern carrier frame and comb-shaped gripper in front elevation and in plan view respectively.

Fig. 8 is a similar view as Fig. 6 in which the needle plates have been advanced but are still in the initial dead point position. i

Fig. 9 shows the position of the plates just prior to the beginning of the working stroke, the pattern card being relieved.

Fig. 10 shows in a diagrammatical plan view the improved feeding mechanism for the jacquard card of an automatic embroiderer.

As shown in Fig. 1 the adjusting movement of the embroidering frame is derived from the jacquard card 1 by the jacquard needles 4, 5 of the plates 2, 3 which are selected in a manner known per se so that the perforated points of the jacquard card leave the needles in their initial position, whilst the full or not perforated points of the card push the jacquard needles forward.

The plates 2, 3 of each of the pairs of plates shiftably mounted in the casing 53 have angle grooves 6, 7 directed in opposite directions with which the control bolts 8, 9, 10, 11 of the elbow levers 12, 13, 14-, 15 engage. The elbow levers are pivotably mounted on axle 1 6,

Each series comprises a pair of elbow levers with arms 12, 13 or 14:, 15 extending in opposite directions. With each arm of the elbow levers a link 17, 18 or 19,20 is hingedly connected by means of a hinge pin 21, or 23, 24. To an end of each link, a two-armed adjusting lever 26 is hinged by means of a hinge pin 27, 28 or 29, 30 said adjusting levers being again hinged at their pivot points 31, or 32 to a connecting rod 33 or 34: shiftably mounted in the casing 53, one con necting rod for each series. In this manner an-adjusting mechanism'is provided which possesses the following advantages:

If in one series the one plate, for instance the'plate 2 of the pair of plates 2, 3, is displaced in accordance with the pat-tern, whilst the counter plate 3 remains locked, the control bolt 8 is adjusted by the curved groove 6 in upward direction through a portion of an arc,so that the upper portion of the adjustingsystem oscillates, as indicated in dashlines in Fig. 1. The movement, which by the link 17 is transmitted upon the two-armed adjusting lever 25, is transmitted at the ratio 1 x 3 in accordance with the ratio of lever arms of difi'erent len ths. upon the connecting rod 33 pivotably mounted on the pivot point 31 of the adjusting lever, so that in this manner, according tot-he oscillation of the one or other end of the adjusting lever, four different shifting movements in the one or other direction are obtained.

Fig. 3 shows the different positions of ill I) adjusting lever 25 diagrammatically. These different positions in the one direction are designated by a, b, c, d, and in the other d1- rection by a, b, c, d. According to whether the adjusting lever 25 is held at the pivot point 28 and oscillates at the pivot point in the one or other direction, the connecting rod 33 is shiftedof the amplitude of movement at or a, i. e. through 1/et of the adjusting amplitude. Adjusting amplitude means the extent of stroke of the pairs of plates with elbow lever arms 12, 130i equal length. If the elbow lever arms are of different lengths the adjusting amplitude amounts to a "traction according to the proportion o1 the lengths of the lever arms. It inversely the just-ing lever 25 is held fast in the hinge 2"? andoscillated in the hinge 28 in the one or Y other dlrection, the connectmg rod 33 1S shitted through the movement amplitude c or c, i. e. through 3/4 of the adjusting amplitude. If, however, the adjusting lever 25 is made to oscillate in the hinge 27 in the one direction and in the hinge 28 in the opposite direction, the difference of the two adjusting movements 1) or b, i. e. 2/4 of the adjusting amplitude, is transmitted upon the connectingrod. If the adjusting lever 25 is made to oscillate at both ends 27, 28 in the same direction the sum of these two movement amplitudes, the fourfold movement amplitude (l or d, or the entire adjusting amplitude is transmitted upon the connecting rod.

The connecting rods 33 or 34 bear toothed slides 35 or 36 which gear with gear wheels 38 or 39 keyed on a shaft 37, said gear wheels being coupled, in a manner known per se, to a differential gear not shown having a transmission 1 X 9, so that in this manner the continuation of the geometrical progression is obtained and the stitch-lengths which are thus formed are transmitted upon the adjusting elements for the frames. In order to return the adjusting system a" er each stitch into the initial position, the toothed slides 35 or 36 are engaged and disengaged by the connecting rod 40.

It is characteristic of the invention that by one single adjusting lever, which oscillates at both ends through equal distances, four different movement amplitudes in the one direction as well as in the other direction can be derived, so that two or more of such groups, coupled by a differential gear of convenient transmission, are suliicient to produce the desired lengths of stitches-of an auto mat-ic embroidering machine.

The connecting rod may be hingedly connected to the middle of the adjusting le- S'LIS it' the two pairs of elbow levers of one series, or the curved grooves of the two pairs of plates, are stepped in the ratio 1 X 3 whereby the ends of the adjusting levers are made to oscillate through distances which correspond to the ratio of transmission mentioned.

If it is desired, however, to avoid the use of differential gearing-the wheels of which gearing must be specially well out to secure accurate results-the two series connecting rods 33 or 34 are coupled by another adj usting lever.

In Figs. l and 5 this arrangement is diamatically shown. The two series of the 'ng mechanism consist oi"? the same elehis as described above. To the connecting rods 33 or the links ll or 2 are hinged which control the lever ends 45, 46 of the two-armed adjustable lever 43. This adjustin lev r hingedly connected at its pivot point ist to the connecting rod -17, and its lever arms are stepped in the proportion 1 X 9, so that the amplitude of oscillation of the lever ends 35, 46 corresponds to this proportion. In this manner an enlarged adjusting .ystem is obtained which possesses the following properties:

If, for instance, the connecting rod of the great series is shifted in the one or other direction, whilst the connecting rod 34: ot' the little series is retained, the shorter end of the adjusting lever 15 will be oscillated to the corresponding side and 9/10 of the shifting movement of rod 33 will be transmitted upon the connecting rod d7 in the one or other direction. it inversely the connecting rod 34 of the little series is shifted in the one or other direction, whilst the connecting rod 33 of the great series is retained, the longer end of the adjusting lever l6 will be oscillated to the corresponding side and only the 9th portion of the adjusting amplitude will be trans: mitted upon the connectingrod 4&7 in the one or other direction. ll, however, the connect ing rod 83 ot' the great series is shifted in i the one direction and the connecting rod 34L of the little series in the opposite direction, the difference oi the two shifting movements will be transmitted in the one direction upon the connecting rod 47 through the opposite oscillations oi? the ends of the two adj listing levers 4:5, 16. In the opposite case the difference of the shifting movements transmitted upon the connecting rod in the other direction. If both connecting rods 33 ori-l l of the great and little series are shifted in the same direction the adjusting lever 43 will transmit the added adjusting amplitudes of both series upon the connecting rod i? in the one or other direction.

It is easy to understand that in this manner the most various amplitudes of movement can be transmitted. upon the rack 4-9, an adjusting mechanism amplified in this manner producing torty units of movement. The resulting movement of the racl-L li) is transn'iitted in a n'ianner known per upon a pinion 51 which is mounted in the machine frame so that it can ro'tatebnt not move in axial direction,saidpinion serving as not for the adjusting;- lie 52 which acts upon the emhroiderin rame. Tillie "10k 4-9 is hingedly connected to the connecting red t? and coupled "with and uncoi'ipled :rrom the pinion 51. by the connecting rod in order to e'tlfect the return movement of theadjust inn; mechanism after every stitch.

As the two connectingrods 33 and 84 must be mounted at some distance the one from the other in the machine housing, to permit of the interposition of an adjusting lever 43 of suillciently great length, the COIIS'iTl'tlCiJlVG arrangement of the invention as regards arrangements oi the two st es of an ad usting mechanism in the spacers ol sizibstantial importance. In Fig. lthe coimecting' rods r 34: are arranged the one obliquely above the other, whilst in Fig. lithe connecting rods or 34 of the great and little series of the one adjusting mechanism are arranged in one and the same plane and bent at such an angle, that a sulliciently long adjusting lever 43 obtained owing to the greater distance between the pivot points 4-5, 46. In the lat. ter case the connecting rods oi the two adjusting mechanisms are preferably arranged the one above the other in the machine casing.

It has further to be explained in which manner the automatic embroidering machine, according to the invention, may be used as large size automatic embroid erer for ntiul't-iple needle embroidering machines.

In this case, if more than two series of con broidering frame actuating movements are used, an auxiliary adjusting mechanism is provided as third series which co-operates with the great adjusting mechanism, in a manner known per so, by a separate difl'er ential gear. in this form of construction of the automatic gear it will not be possible to utilize all the adjusting possibilities of the auxiliary gear, as otherwise too many units would be obtained. The ratio of transmission of the auxiliary dillerential gear will he preterably selected so that the reading of the stitch lengths on the card is considerably tacilit-ated. The last that, in multiple needle embroideringmachines, the jacquard card must be relieved of the pressure 01 the stitch grate makes it necessary to provide for this purpose special guiding devices {or the needle plates.

This special device for relieving the jacquard card shown in Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive is constructed as tollows Between the two resilient perforated plates 54, 55 (Figs. 6 and 7) ol' the pattern carrier frame 56 a pattern card 1 is guided which is fed. in a manner known perse, by means of feeding pins. The pattern carrier frame 56 with the abutment bridge 5? is mounted in the housing 53 so that it can be shifted in longitudinal direction and it is moved towards the needle plates (arrow ct Fig. 6) by means oi: an eccentric not shown in the drawing. A transverse bar 58 ot the machine frame serves as stop for the needle plates if the same are returned into the initial position. The pattern carrier frame 56 has an extension 59 on which a lever (30 is ph otably mounted which. carries at one ol i 1 ends a stud 61 guided in a curved groove (32 oi the machine frame 53. The lever has at its other end a, combshaped gripper 3 the gripping pawls 64 0t which. engage l ahind the lateral stud 65 of the working plates 2 or which have already-, been advanced.

The plates 2 and 3 arranged in pairs hav jacquard needles l, 5 adapted to be adj usted by the pattern card 1. The curved grooves (i,

7 inthe plates extend from the horizontal initial dead point position in opposite directions. Control pins 66 of the adjusting; elements 67 rotatably mounted on the shaft (38 of the automatic cmbroidering machine engage with said grooves G, 7.- These control bolts 66 are held in the initial or middle position, at the beginning of the curved grooves, by the lengthened initial dead point position which is due to the i'act that the two needle plates o't each pair have each an extension (59, 70. The inner faces of these extensions term; extended. horizontal grooves, in which the control pins of the adjusting elements are securely held in the middle position. For locking the inoperative needle plates 2, 3 locking levers 71 are loosely mounted on lit;-

shaft 68. Each of these levers 71 has at its end a lateral arm 72 bent at right angles and engaging, as locking bolt, with the curved grooves 6 or? of the needle plates so that it is lifted or lowered at-the shifting of one of the plates of a pair of plates by the curved groove of said plate. The portion of the lockingbolttraversing the other plate bears against the circular locking face of that plate of the pair which has remained in the initial position, so that bythis li tingor lowering of the lateral arm 72 the actual counter-plate pair of plates is secured *rection of the same arrow, the inoperative plates of the corresponding pairs of plates remaining in the locked position of the initial dead point position which is formed by the twoextensions 69,70 of the plates, so that the control bolts 66 are secured against accidental displacement in the fundamental position. During the shifting of the working needle plates, within the initial dead point position, that is to say whilst the stroke of the jacquard card iscommencing, the following takes place :The gripping lever pivotably mounted on the pattern carrier frame slides, in accordance with the movement of the pattern carrier frame,-with its stud 61 also inthe curved groove 62 of the machine frame (Fig. 8),at first in the horizontal portion, then in an ascending portion and thenvagain in 'a horizontal portion of the -Th'e gripper curve 62 possesses, therefore, also an initiaL and an enddeadpoint position in order to limit the movement of the gripper lever atthe beginning and at the end or to securely hold this lever in these two positions. As soon as the gripper bolt 61 arrives from the lower into the upper deadpoint position of the curved groove, the gripper lever 60, pivotably mounted on the pattern carrier frame, is oscillated so that the pawls 6410f the gripper comb 63 grip behind the lateral studs of the advanced working plates. As these pawls 64 are pointed at the. front end and get thicker towards the rear end, the needle plates are further advanced by these bevelled surfaces 65 and moved away from the pattern card 1 9). By this movement of the gripper lever hinged on the pattern carrier frame an additional movement, besides the pattern carrier frame movement, is produced, which effects the removing or relieving of the needle plates from the jacquard card and the further advancing of the needle plates during the working stroke which will now begin, so that the adjusting pressure of the embroidering frame is transmitted by the gripper lever 60 directly upon the carrier frame but not upon the jacquard card. After the needle plates have been advanced in this manner through such a distance that the control bolts 66 of the adjusting elements of the automatic embroiderer come into the end deadpoint position of the plate pairs, the working phase is finished and the embroiderer phase begins again, during which the return movement of the pattern carrier frame starts. The bolt 61 of the gripper lever 60 slides at this occasion in the curved groove 62 back from the upper into the lower deadpoint position, whereby the gripper comb 63 is raised and its pawls release the lateral studs 65 of the plates. The abutment bridge 57 of the pattern carrier frame draws the needle plates back into their initial position up to the stationary transverse bar 58 so that said plates can again be selected by the jacquard card.

In Fig. 10 the arrangement of the pattern taking mechanism with regard to the card feeding mechanism is shown.

The jacquard card J is wound on a bobbin 7:), the axle 76 of said bobbin being loosely journaled in a bobbin frame not shown. A feed roll 77 on the shaft 78 is rotated from the shaft of the sewing machine or from the main shaft of the automatic embroidering machine-by an articulated chain, not shown in the drawing. The feed roll 77 has latorally projecting catches 79 designed to engage with the feed-holes in the jacquard card. Counter pressure feeding rollers 80, 81 for the coming in portion of the jacquard card and counter pressure pulling off rolls 82, 83 for the running off portion of the jacquard card serve for pressing said card onto the feed roll. The counter pressure rolls 80, 81 or 82, 88 are loosely mounted on axles 84-, 85 or 86, 87 fixed in the ends of oscillating levers 88, 89 or 90, 31 oscillatably mounted iii pairs on axles 92 or 93 which are fixed in the bobbin frame. The levers 88, 89 or 90, 91 of each pair of lovers are connected with one another by pull springs 94, 95 so that the counter pressure rolls 80, 81 or 82. 83 are elastically pressed onto the feed roll. The counter pressure rolls have at each side feed holes with which the catches 7 9 of the feed roll engage. For winding up the jacquard card a winding up mechanism is provided, .which consists essentially in that the unwinding jacquard card is wound up from the feed roll upon the winding up bobbin 96 by means of a yieldable belt.' The winding up bobbin 96 iskeyed on a shaft 97 journalled in the bobbin frame. On each shaft 7 8 and 97 a pulley 98, 99 is arranged which are connected with one another by an elastic belt 100. \Vith this object in view a spring element for instance a pull spring 101 is inserted in the belt 100 so that it can easily slip on the two pulleys. Between the unwinding mechanism and the winding up mechanism the jacquard card forms a loose loop 102 which. is intermittently advanced by the taking oil mecha nism. This mechanism consists essentially of a feed frame 103 shittably mounted in bearings 10 i and operated by an ascending and descending feed lever, not shown in the drawing. The feed frame 103 has on its two edges feed pins 105 adapted to engage with the feed holes of the jacquard card and designed to intermittently engage, at the as cending and descending, with two vertical slots of the plates 106, 10? which guide the pattern card d (positions I and II), whercby, in combination with the forward and backward oscillation of said guide plates, the intermittent feeding of the pattern card loop 102 is effected by the pattern carrier frame 108, which is horizontally guided in the housing or the automatic apparatus. The two guide plates 106, 107 for the pattern card are pressed the one against the other by a feeble spring, so that the jacquard card is slightly clamped between these plates.

The operation of this mechanism is lows:

The jacquard card d wound up on the bobas loli bin 75 is wound oil said bobbin by the traction exerted by the feed roll 77 and passes through between the two feed-counterpros sure rolls 80, 81 over the upper portion of the feed roll 77 to form their a loose loop 102 to the middle portion of which the well known oscillating movement for the adjusting of the jacquard needles in accordance with the pattern is communicated by the guide plates 106, 107, the jacquard card being fed intermittently by the feed pins 105 of the feed frame 103 which executes a reciprocating movement in vertical direction. At the ion ward oscillating of the guide plates 106, 107 the loop shaped portion 102 of the jacquard card is enlarged (position 1), Whilst at the backward oscillating it is compressed again (position II). The woundup end of the loop 102 is conducted by the winding oil counter pressure rolls 82, 83 over the lower portion of the feed roll and wound up upon the winding up roll 96. This is carried out in such a manner that to this roll 96 the move ment is communicated by the yieldable belt 100 at such a ratio of transmission that this roll, at the beginning of the winding up, winds up the tree portion of the card. In accordance with the thickness of the pe 'tion of the card wound up on the roll 90 the yieldable belt 100 slips on the pulleys 9 8, 99 so that the pull exerted upon the jacquard card is reduced and the feed holes of the card are preserved. The circumstance is important that the pattern card is wound oil in uniform progression and similarly wound up. The

use]

unwound portion of the pattern card as well as the wound up portion of the same merge in the loop 102 and the stepwise feeding of the card in the taking oil mechanism at the middle oi the loose loop is etlected with ease and without any resistance. in this manner the intermittent tlieeding ot the card loop can talro place in rapidly succeeding; intervals without considerable damaging oi the feed holes by the teed pins. The speed of the automatic single-needle embroidering or sewingr machine can therefore be considerably increased.

in order to further preserve the teed holes 01' the jacquard card the feed roll '2"? as well as the counter pressure rolls 80, 81 and 82, 83 may have a cover of hard rubber so that the teed pins 79 oi the feed roll can be omitted. lin this case the pressure 01' the counter pressure rolls will preferably be increased by selooting powerful springs 95, 9 1 so that the jacquard card is pulled along by the strong friction of the counter pressure rolls so that no stress is exerted upon the feed holes of the card. In this case the loose loop 102 of the jacquard card may be wider 1n order that little irregularities in the unwinding and winding up of the card are compensated by the greater width of the loop.

We claim 1. In an automatic embroider-lug machine, means for producing a movement of variable amplitude from unvariable driving movements, comprising; in combination pairs of shiftable needle plates each pair composed. oi two .eedle plates, oscillatable elbow levers one to 1' each plate oscillated in the one or other direction by said shittable plates, lever-parallelograms one for each needle plate and formed by the other arm of said elbow lever by a lever downwardly extending from the pivot point 01 said elbow lever by two links and by a lever parallel to the upper tl'l'll of said elbow lever and to said lever in alignment with said arm, connecting rods one for each plate hingedly connected to said parallel levers, and means for transmitting the movements of said connectinp rods upon said embroidering machine so that four movement amplitudes oi? the arithmetic progression are obtained.

2. 111 an automatic embroidering machine, a mechanism for producing movement of variable amplitude from unvariable driving movements, comprising in combination pairs of shiftable needle plates each pair composed of two needle plates, oscillatable elbow levers one for each plate oscillated in the one or other direction by said shiitable plates, lever parallelogranis one for each needle plate and formed by the other arm ot said elbow lever by a lever downwardly extending from the pivot point oft said elbow lever by two links and by a lever parallel to the upper arm of said elbow lever and to said lever in alignment with said arm, connecting rods one for each plate hingedly connected to said parallel levers, and means for transmitting themovcments of said connecting rods upon said our broidering machine so that four movement amplitudes of the arithmetic progression are obtained, and means for adding in a desired ratio of transmission the movementamplitildes of said connecting rods of every two series and for transmitting these added movements as final movement upon the embroidering frame. 7

3. In an automatic embroidering machine,

a mechanism for producing a movement of variable amplitude from unvariable driving movements, comprising in combination pairs of shiftable needle plates each pair composed of two needle plates, oscillat-able elbow levers one for each plate oscillated in the one or 1 other direction by said shittable plates, lever parallelograms one for each needle plate and formed by the other arm of said elbow lever by a lever downwardly extending from the pivot point of said elbow lever by two links and by a lever parallel to the upper arm of said elbow lever and to said lever in alignment with said arm, connecting rods one for -=each plate hingedly connected to said parallel levers, and means for transmitting the movements of said connecting rods upon said embroidering machine so that four movement amplitudes of the arithmetic progression are obtained, and a connecting lever system for adding in a desired ratio of transmission the movement amplitudes of said connecting rods of every two series and for transmitting these added movements as final movement upon f parallelograms one for. each needle plate and formed by the other arm of said elbow lever by a lever downwardly extending from the pivot pointof said elbow lever by two links and by a lever parallel to the upper arm of said elbow lever and to said lever in alignment with said arm, connecting rods one for eachi'plate hingedly connected to said parallel levers, and means for transmitting the movements of said connecting rods upon said embroidering machine so that four movement amplitudes of the arithmetic progression are obtained, and a connecting lever system for adding in a desired ratio of l'lill'lSllllSSlOll the movement amplitudes of said connectin rods of every two series and for transmitting these added movements as final movement upon the embroidering frame, driving rods operated from said lever system. and stationary guides for said connecting rods and tor said driving rods.

5. In an automatic embroidering machine in which the movement of unvariable amplitude is produced by pairs -of needle plates which are alternately shifted from the initial position by the action of a pattern card, a pattern carrier frame in which said pattern card is guided, an extension of said carrier frame, a pull lever hingcdly mounted on said extension, a comb shaped gripper on one end ofsaid lever and comprising one gripper for each needle plate each gripper having a bevelled end face, a transverse stud on each needle plate and situated in the range of the corresliionding gripper, a pin at the other end of said pull lever, and an extension of the machine frame having a groove with which said pin engages so that at the shifting of said needle plates when the same are in the dead point position said pull lever is lowered over said transverse studs of said needle plates and pulls said needle plates away from said pattern card.

6. In an automatic enibroidering machine pairs of needle plates each pair composed of two plates each plate having a curved groove the grooves of the two plates of one pair extending in opposite directions, a safety lever rotatably mounted near each plate, and having its free end bent at right angles and engaging with said groove of: the corresponding needle-plate, an adjusting lever for each needle plate, a circular locking face on each needle plate and designed to hold said bent end of the corresponding safety lever when said adjusting lever of the other plate is being raised.

In testimony whereof we ailix our signa tures.

FRANZ JOSEF GAHLER'I. MAX BRETSCHNEIDER 

